My Introduction to Japanese Swordsmanship(Originally published in Irish Fighter Magazine as "The Quest for Heijoshin ")

Before the Iaido Dojo, my journey into Samurai Swordsmanship begins on the distant shores of 17th century Japan....

Kojiro sat impatiently on the small island
off the coast of Japan known as Ganryu. His mind, originally intent on killing
a young upstart that dared to insult him had become preoccupied, with his own
discomfort. Now he was tired, pissed off and angry that he had been sitting
there for hours, well past the appointed time for the vagabond to show himself.
The sun, with its insistent glare, rising in the afternoon, caused the sweat to
steam down his brow, stinging his eyes. Blinking, he saw a small boat wind its
way to the island, carrying with it this pathetic young urchin that had
compounded his insults and slights against Kojiro in showing up hours late for
their dual. As the boat approach the
shore, Kojiro saw that he was insulted once more, for instead of clutching a
katana in his hand this dirty poorly dressed scruffy excuse for a warrior
carried nothing but a boat oar that he had carved into a crude sword.

The oar wielding scruff silently stepped
from the boat, and the infuriated Kojiro screamed in anger throwing his
scabbard into the sea. At this moment the scruff looked up, smiled and shouted
defiantly, “You’ve lost Kojrio, only a dead man has no need of his scabbard!” Moments
later Kojiro lay dead, his skull and chest crushed in the most famous victory
of the Sword Saint, Miyamoato Musashi.

But this isn’t a story about legendary
fighters, nor is this about the Samurai (not that Musashi was one), no this
story is about today, and the remarkable quest I began in mid January in the
Kenseikai Iaido Dojo, down Magennis Place, Pearse St, during an Iaido class. And perhaps this is a
story that you’ll be able to share.

Victory Comes While the Sword is Still in the Scabbard

And speaking of stories wasn’t Musashi’s
fight against Kojiro a cool intro? But
the coolness belies a very important lesson, that of “Kachi wa saya no naka ni
ari”, or translated, “Victory comes while the sword is still in the
scabbard”. What Musashi demonstrated in
his battle against Kojiro was an understanding of psychology, or perception and something I would later learn is a key component in Iaido.

Musashi knowing the temperament and pride of his opponent achieved victory by
mentally throwing him off balance, and arriving late. But this was not enough,
he further flustered Kojiro in being late and bringing an oar to a duel, as
such Kojiro reacted in anger and could not apply rational thought or strategy
to his fight – instead of remaining cool and composed, Kojiro lost it, and as a
result lost his life.

Now I am greatly over simplifying this, the
student of Musashi would quickly point out that the legendary fighter had
studied his opponent and knew well that Kojiro prided himself on the use of an
extremely long sword and his advantage was in distance, thus Musashi’s choice
of an oar that he carved into the shape of a sword – a longer sword than
Kojiro’s. Also they would be quick to note the strategic significance of the
position that Musashi arrived in, his back was to the sun, and thus Kojiro’s
eyes were blinded, and of course there was the psychological advantage in
pointing out Kojiro had already lost…and there are more factors besides.
Ultimately however they all contributed to Musashi’s victory, one that was inevitable,
one that he had achieved the night before on his decision to arrive late for
the match. Musashi had won the bout long
before either he or Kojiro had drawn a weapon.

It was however as a result of this fight
that Musashi began looking for different answers from the martial arts, from
his life. Knowing now that he was unbeatable in combat, that he could kill a
skilled opponent with ease Musashi began a different quest, he would never kill
in a dual again, instead simply showing his opponents the ineffectiveness of
their rigid devotion. Instead Musashi looked towards understanding himself and
his place in the world, to bettering himself as a man and searching for Heijoshin – inner peace.

Legends
and Real Life

There’s a reason stories like Musashi’s are
so powerful, while to a degree historically accurate they are made more
dramatic, to convey to us the underlying theme’s that we can see in our own
life. In this respect Musashi’s story is applicable to all of us, much in the
same way all great legends are from Homer’s Odyssey, to modern myth and
cinema. And in listening to the story of
Musashi above you may find a familiar truth as I have.

All be it a less dangerous and violent way,
I’ve come to a similar decision as Musashi after the death of Kojiro. I
recently wrote in another article published in Irish Fighter that I had finally found my answers, those
that began my journey in the martial arts so long ago. And I have, thanks to my study of reality
based self defense and in particular Jim Wagner's Reality Based Personal Protection and Tim Larkin’s Target Focus Training, I know how to stop the
unstoppable attacker, the terminator that keeps coming, and I’m not afraid
anymore. I’ve gone on at length about
the benefits in a previous article and I won’t do that here, but I have
completed the quest I set out to when I began. In some small way like Musashi,
I’ve learnt that I can kill and I don’t need to follow that path any more.

Like Musashi, in my martial journey, I’ve
encountered other concepts through the martial arts. I loved the traditional
arts, the discipline, the eastern philosophical concepts, the quest for precise
control over the body with the mind. And now that I have my answers I find that
I miss those aspects, the ability to make yourself better, to hold a mirror to
yourself, to see the flaws and cut them away through intense dedicated
training.

So, after 5 years training exclusively in
Reality Based combat systems I’ve gone back to traditional arts, not to learn
how to defend myself, but to learn how to the best person I can be. And this I suspect will be a longer and
harder quest. This is a quest for Hejioshin,
inner peace and balance. I am trying to understand myself through movement, but
what movement that was the question.

I’ve gotten all I could from Karate, the
same is true of Aikido, in fact having studied many of the martial arts I was
lost to find one that I felt would suit this new goal. But I found one in Nick
Johnston’s Iaido Dojo in the Martial Arts academy.

The
Peerless Directly-transmitted True-faith Style

Iaido is a Japanese martial art, and the
particular branch taught in Johnston’s Iaido Dojo, is Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū (無双直伝英信流). It
originated roughly around 450 years ago, with a man named Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu (林崎甚助源の重信). The art’s name translates as Peerless Directly-transmitted
True-faith Style. Originally referred to
as Shimmei Muso Ryu, or Shin Muso Hayashizaki Ryu, this name is derived from the
legendary origins of the art. After the
death of his father in a duel, the then 26 year old Hayashizaki prayed devoutly
to Hayashi Myojin for 100 days and received divine inspiration resulting in
this particular school of sword drawing that we know today as Iaido.

This is essentially what Iaido is
regardless of particular style or interpretation, it is the art of removing the
sword, the katana from the scabbard (saya) and cutting in one movement. This is
referred to as Nukitsuke. It is a beautifully
simple art and yet infinitely complex – much like life. And in fact Hayashizaki
based his style on the flow and movement of life, of Yin and Yang – something
that as an acupuncturist I strongly identify with and he taught Iaido with this spiritual context in mind.

It wasn’t until the 7th Soke or
grandmaster of the style Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Eishin (or Hidenobu)(長谷川主税助英信), took over that we
received the modern name for the style, Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū, which incorporates his own name. Apparently
an equal in skill to the founder of the style Hayashizaki, he trained in
several other lost ryu’s and incorporated them into his teachings under the
previous Soke.

While this focus on lineage and history may
be tedious reading for some – it is a unique and well documented account of the
history of the style and truly places in context the teachings one trains in.
With the proliferation of dubious martial arts that are spawned by McDojo’s
around the world it is a privilege to have a clear and defined lineage to one’s
art, to be able to place onself in that history and development. You have the opportunity to become part of
and contribute to something greater than yourself. It’s also important in terms
of having a good teacher and instructor and in this case I can run through 20 generations
of grandmasters and soke’s to a direct lineage in Iaido to my instructor Nick Johnston and his Iaido Dojo.

Kicking Ass with Koryu

Training in Johnston’s Iaido dojo is unique, as
the classes are divided between himself and Bjorn Fehr. This provides excellent opportunities for students of
both Iaido, and of life, as you are presented with two distinct philosophies and
mindsets towards the art. Each instructor presents the fundamental material of
the Koryu (the traditional styles as taught and passed down), with his own
distinct flair and thought process behind it. The result is a living breathing
art, exacting in its execution, yet capable of individual interpretation and
unique identity.

Training itself can be broken down into
distinct and separate parts that when you get better form a fluid whole. The
main distinctions of Iaido are the initial draw of the blade and cut in one movement – Nukitsuke, the killing blow - Kiritsuke
, the traditional gesture of flicking the blood of a fallen opponent off
the blade, Chiburui, and finally the
re sheathing of the blade in one elegant motion – Noto. Each of these
techniques has variations, subtle movement and mannerisms, blended with
psychology and intention. Brought together they form a unified whole – a kata,
or form. Both Johnston and Fehr take different approaches to teaching and
performing these movements in the Iaido Dojo.

Training with Fehr is Yin, he demonstrates
a beautiful fluidity in the movements and encourages contemplation and thought
within each movement leading to a natural elegance. Careful coaching and
delicate direction slowly transitions the student from conscious ignorance of
technique through to conscious competency and finally to unconscious grace
where a unique symmetry of total free natural movement occurs within a rigid
prescribed context.

While this may sound contradictorial, it is
in one sense the very essence of the art. There is deep emotion within the vacant
expression of the Iai practitioner, as he is resigned to the ultimate execution
of his opponent, regretting the end of human life, but focusing on the act with
quiet determination and strength, without hesitation and performed with a grace
befitting of the respect for human life.

This contrasts with Johnston’s own Yang interpretation
of Iaido. While Fehr’s movement is beautiful to watch, nearly balletic, Johnston
performs the movements with a spiky aggression that at times I find nearly
uncomfortable to watch. Nick’s
performance of the kata is committed with such focused intent, I often feel a
sense of cold uncomfortibility on the back of my neck as the depiction of death is so well executed
I can nearly feel the blood of the fallen opponent pooling at my feet.

Each movement of Nick’s performance is
measured, weighted and imbued with fierce intent. His eyes cold, calculating
and deadly in a grim expression, each slice of the blade kills. An awareness of
every person in the room threatens yet his focus is solely on the man he is
cutting down in this ritualized display. The tension is palpable, no one
breaths and he rises slowly from delivering the last fatal blow, his eyes
looking at the imaginary fallen opponent. Unflinching he re-sheathes his sword,
silently aware of everyone and everything in the room, yet his eyes haven’t
moved from where the body would lie. Watching, waiting he steps back, his eyes
come up, and you’re left relieved it’s over. That’s when you let the breath
you’ve been unconsciously holding out. His teaching method is similar – a
clinical breakdown of the movements and detailed focus on each aspect that then
brings everything together in perfect execution.

Cutting
Through the Confusion of Life

The differences between both instructors
are subtle, but definitive - a hand position, a hip movement, the focus on the
eyes and the non physical intention. Where
Fehr is resigned, Johnston is ruthless, where Johnston is aggressive and
dominating, Fehr manifests quite confidence and power. Where Johnston is sharp
and explosive, Fehr is flowing and elegant. Each performs the kata within the Iaido Dojo in his own
way, a product of his teachers and lineage and their own personal philosophies.
The result is perfect balance and students get to experience both and thus can
make their own decision about which path to take, ultimately in the hopes that at
some point down the road they can forge their own path, explore their own
personal philosophies and understand how they relate not only to themselves but
their world.

In the Iaido Dojo however this art is more than simply swinging a
sword around in various patterns. It is, as you may have gathered, a tool that
once can use to shape and perfect one’s character, to find and accept those
aspect that and weak and those that strong within oneself. Iaido is simple in
concept and yet incredibly challenging to perfect. In today’s increasingly
stressful world, in one in which everyday peoples virtues and manners and
compromised by greed and weakness Iaido and training in an Iaido Dojo is the perfect foil for life, for
understanding oneself and one’s place in the world – through the sword one
cut’s away the unessential until all that remains is the truth – and with that
peace of mind – Heijoshin..